Ohio State edges out Arizona State for No. 1 spot

COLUMBUS (AP) -- Enrollment figures show Ohio State University has the nation's highest public university enrollment. The school's Columbus campus has 51,818 students this year. Arizona State University, which had the most students last year, is second with 51,324 students. Ohio State grew by about 1,300 students in Columbus while ASU's Tempe campus enrollment fell by about 375 students since last year, according to reports released by the universities. At just one year, the top title was short-lived for Arizona. In the past, OSU has usually been No. 1 in enrollment. "Our aim is not necessarily to be the biggest, but to be the best," OSU President Karen Holbrook said in a news release. "Students are attracted to Ohio State by the quality of our faculty and programming, and these numbers tell us we are succeeding." ASU administrators attributed the Tempe enrollment decline to the university's emphasis on growth at its other campuses. "Having the largest single campus in the United States is not, and never has been, our goal," ASU spokeswoman Terri Shafer said in an e-mail. "Our objective is to provide access to an excellent education for as many of the state's citizens as possible."